Cubs trade Gorzelanny to Nationals for 3 prospects

Lefty a victim of numbers game

Tom Gorzelanny knew he would probably be a victim of a numbers game when the Cubs acquired Matt Garza from the Rays.

So it was no surprise that Gorzelanny was dealt to Washington for three prospects, pending Gorzelanny's physical on Tuesday.

The Cubs will receive Michael Burgess, a 22-year-old outfielder with a strong arm, Class A right-hander A.J. Morris, a fourth-round pick in 2009, and Class A left-hander Graham Hicks. None were rated among the Nationals' top 10 prospects.

Gorzelanny, a former Marist High product, made 23 starts last year, allowing two or fewer runs in 12 of them and posting a 4.22 earned-run average. He also made six relief appearances and posted a 1.42 ERA after being removed from the rotation for Carlos Zambrano's return.

The Cubs' payroll won't be known until the roster is finalized, but it is expected to be around $130 million, nearly a 10 percent decline from last year's Opening Day payroll.

The Cubs figure to go with five right-handers in the starting rotation, and general manager Jim Hendry said at the Cubs Convention they'll have enough left-handers in the bullpen to combat teams that load their lineups with lefty hitters. Sean Marshall, John Grabow and James Russell are expected to be the three lefties, though Russell will get a chance to start in spring training.

Though a half-dozen pitchers will compete for the final two spots in the rotation, Andrew Cashner is likely to get one spot while either Randy Wells or Carlos Silva should fill it out. Silva said he's healthy and expects to earn a spot, while Wells had 18 quality starts, the second most on the staff.